The prior art is replete with examples of different types of boats that range from those that are designed for more leisurely travel to those that are designed for more sporty travel. Boats designed for leisure generally include yachts and other types of boats that are provided with a cabin or enclosed compartment for the boat's occupants. Boats designed for sportier activities generally do not incorporate a cabin or enclosed passenger space, because such boats typically are limited in their construction by constraints placed upon the total weight of the vehicle.
Sport boats are characterized by a number of features common to that vehicle's genre. In particular, sport boats are designed to travel across the water's surface at high speed. To accomplish this, sport boats incorporate powerful engines connected to propulsion devices such as jet propulsion units. A jet propulsion unit incorporates an impeller housed at the rear of the vehicle. The impeller draws water through a water passage under the vehicle, pressurizes the water, and discharges the water from the rear of the vehicle to propel the vessel.
Because sport boats are capable of generally greater speeds than leisure craft, they are often used for a number of different sporting activities such as water skiing, wake boarding, knee boarding, etc. However, because sport boats traditionally have been designed to maximize speed and maneuverability while minimizing deck space (thereby minimizing boat weight), there has been little emphasis placed on providing sufficient storage for the equipment used for such activities. As a result, a need has developed for a sport boat with increased accessibility to a storage space, especially for accessibility to a space (or spaces) large enough to hold sporting equipment such as water skis, wake boards, knee boards, and fishing poles, among other types of equipment.
In addition, because sport boats are designed with higher speeds in mind, there are often designed with an “open deck.” An open deck boat is one where the entire deck of the boat may be viewed from the exterior of the vessel. In other words, there is no internal cabin or enclosed space within the boat where riders may retire in shade (or be protected from the elements, such as rain). Since sport boats are designed primarily with speed and maneuverability in mind, the addition of shade features, such as canopies, traditionally has been antithetical to sport boat design, because the additional structure either adds weight to the vehicle or provides further drag when the vehicle is in motion. However, a need has developed for the design of a sport boat that can provide at least modest protection for riders from the elements without detracting from the speed, maneuverability, or appearance of the sport boat.
Another failing in the prior art concerns the positioning of the components that are connected to and support the engine. In particular, for a sport boat incorporating a jet propulsion unit, common wisdom suggests that the resonator canister(s) should be disposed substantially horizontally within the hull. This does not facilitate removal of water that may accumulate with the resonator canister(s), a condition that may affect adversely the performance of the watercraft. Accordingly, a need has developed for a component layout that facilitates removal of water from the resonator canister(s).
Some sport boats also suffer from at least one additional failing in the prior art. In particular, some sport boats traditionally incorporated a large, curved transition between the rear transom of the watercraft and the bottom of the hull (the running surface of the boat). Such a large, slowly-sweeping transition creates a large radius of curvature between the rear of the vessel and the operative surface at the bottom of the hull, which, in some cases, adversely affects the operation of the vessel. Specifically, the large radius of curvature results in increased drag on the hull. Accordingly, a need has developed for a hull design that minimizes drag on the hull at the transition between the transom at the stern of the vessel and the operating surface beneath the hull.
As a rule, conventional sport boats that include a windshield or other type of windowed windscreen do so at the expense of visibility to the driver. In particular, the sides of the windshield often extend upwardly from the gunwales of the boat the same distance as the forward-most portion (or front) of the windshield. Accordingly, if the driver were to look sideways (e.g., to spot a water skier, another boat, or an obstacle), the operator often found that he or she had to stand to look over the upper frame of the side sections of the windshield. Accordingly, a need has developed for an improved windshield design, in particular, one that does not interfere with the operator's line of sight when the operator looks either to the port or starboard sides of the vessel, especially when the driver is seated.
It is known to include electronic equipment, such as a sound system, on a variety of different boat types including sport boats. Just as with any other vehicle (and perhaps even more so with a boat having an open deck construction), security for the sound system is important. In particular, the sound system should be designed with an anti-theft device to prevent, or at least deter, theft of the radio, CD player, or other sound equipment placed on the vessel.
It is also common to place the sound equipment on the console in front of the passenger's seat on the boat (when such a console is provided). The passenger's seat is typically the seat adjacent to the driver's seat but on the opposite side of the boat. In some boat designs, the driver's seat and the passenger's seat are positioned in front of a bench seat that extends across the rear of the vessel from the port to starboard sides.
In the case where the sound system is positioned on the console in front of the passenger's seat, the sound system is usually exposed and visible from the exterior of the vessel. Positioned in this manner, the sound system is a particularly attractive nuisance to the average radio thief. What the prior art lacks is a reliable security device or system that either reduces or eliminates the theft potential for the sound system aboard vessels with an open deck.
One further failing in the prior art lies concerns the storage of a collapsible table that may be erected in the passenger area. It is known to provide a collapsible table for the passenger areas of some boats. However, the storage of such tables has not been addressed.
Still further, the prior art fails to provide foot rest areas for passengers that can accommodate a variety of foot positions and/or different heights of individuals.
Each of these failings in the prior art has been identified by consumers recently as areas where solutions are either desired or needed.